Paige Byrne Shortal, Union, had only been a Catholic for a couple of years back in the mid-1970s when the Jesuits at Saint Louis University put her in charge of directing the choir for their Masses at St. Francis Xavier (College) Church on campus.

Wayne and Linda Brunner celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary May 16, 2020. Mr. Brunner and the former Miss Holdmeier were united in marriage May 16, 1970, at St. Francis Borgia Church in Downtown Washington.

Summer unofficially begins this weekend, but there will be no roar of the crowd or crack of the bat at Busch Stadium in Downtown St. Louis. Major League Baseball has yet to announce if or when the 2020 season will begin or the details of how games will be played amid the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Some years ago, I spent time with Amy Krouse Rosenthal when she visited Washington twice to promote her children’s books. Driving around with her, the conversation ball never dropped. Amy and I just hit it off as she shared her music playlist, talked about her husband, three children and pro…

Dale and Debbie Scheible celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary May 2, 2020. Mr. Scheible and the former Miss Hoerstkamp were united in marriage May 2, 1970, at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Washington.

This family of foxes has been seen playing near East Main and Walnut streets in Downtown Washington. They have been running in the area of the riverfront trail and near the train tracks. They have mostly been seen in early morning and early evening hours.

Theo and Doris Feth, Beaufort, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary May 7. Mr. Feth and the former Miss Frankenberg were united in marriage May 7, 1960, at St. Francis Borgia Church in Downtown Washington.

Peace Lutheran Church’s community-wide RIP Medical Debt campaign to retire $1.5 million in medical debt for people living in Franklin and four surrounding counties is more than halfway to its goal with just a couple of weeks left before the deadline.

The Baby Buzz Pick for May focuses on the importance of dirt in a variety of seasons and locales. Kids will identify with the homey, rural scenes and busy work taking place in “Dirt: A John Deere Peek-a-Flap,” by Jack Redwing.

Reading and math don’t always go together outside of a word problem, but this year they’re like peas and carrots as The Missourian and the Community Literacy Foundation continue their effort to have this area declared “the best read community in America” with the One More Page project.

Right about now, everyone from bees to babies, teens to seniors could use a boost. As the weeks advance, distancing from others is getting overlong and we all could use a big hug. Take heart, Buzzers and Buzzettes, boredom can be lifted and solace found in books that provide “Pure Escapism.”…

Adrienne and Aaron Bailey, Union, didn’t start out with any grand plan of how they could help feed the coworkers at Mercy Hospital Washington during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were simply looking for a way to feel useful.

Gloria Ramírez climbs into the cab of a pickup at a drive-in restaurant in east Texas. At the wheel is Dale Strickland, a smooth-talking young man. He beckons her with, “Hey Valentine,” and the 14-year-old Mexican girl caves, seeing in him a possible escape from her sorry state. Instead, he …

St. Francis Borgia Regional High School students haven’t been in the school’s STEM lab for more than a month now since stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of COVID-19 began, but the lab’s 3D printers are running day and night.

It wasn’t long after the stay-at-home orders were put in place around the St. Louis metro area that Bill Parmentier, a 2000 graduate of St. Francis Borgia Regional High School who now lives in St. Louis, was already getting antsy.

Being outside more these days offers the opportunity to watch birds feeding and busily building their homes. Make a backyard visit with a child even better with “Nesting,” by Henry Cole, the newest book chosen as a Baby Buzz Pick.

(Family Features) Many spring celebrations call for fabulous food, specifically dishes fit for brunch, even if your "crowd" is simply your nearest loved ones gathered at the family table. A wide variety of recipes may fit the festivities, but a combination of comforting bites with sweet and …

Life’s a bit topsy-turvy at the hive, as in the world, but books are a constant, a joy providing an escape from what ails. Newsbee is thrilled to present a trio of happy reviews this month—congrats to the winners, who will each receive a prize book from the Washington Optimists to keep the k…

April 22 is a biggie for the beloved orb we call home. Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day by being a caretaker of our planet because “Earth Is Worth It.” That’s Newsbee’s theme for Book Buzz this month. Page On with books that inspire, educate and entertain — great reads about Earth…

If being cooped up at home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has you searching for some DIY (do-it-yourself) projects or just thinking about how to live more self-sufficiently, Lisa (Vehige) Bass of Marthasville has you covered.

Love conquers all, or so it did last Saturday, March 21, when Anastasia Ratcliff, a Washington native and 2012 graduate of St. Francis Borgia Regional High School, found a way to keep the wedding date she had planned with her fiance, Colorado native Stanton Skerjanec.